The Hollow Stone by MissRenesmeeRose
by After Your Heart Stops Beating
Summary: AFTER YOUR HEART STOPS BEATING CONTEST ENTRY: Fifteen years after marrying Edward, Bella still feels like she's missing something. Will she find that something in Jacob?


**After Your Heart Stops Beating OneShot Contest**

**Story Title: The Hollow Stone**

**Penname: MissRenesmeeRose **

**Summary: Fifteen years after marrying Edward, Bella still feels like she's missing something. Will she find that something in Jacob? **

**Word Count: 2730**

**To view other entries go here: ****http:/www (.) fanfiction (.) net/~afteryourheartstopsbeating**

**Disclaimer: The characters belong to SMeyer of course. But do you really think she would write something like this? ;-)**

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The door of his apartment opened easily with a little picking of the lock. I knew he wasn't home so I took the liberty upon myself to enter. I closed the door quickly and quietly behind me before finally taking a step inside.

The apartment had a sophisticated look about it, though there wasn't much furniture. The walls were painted a pale ivory; there was a couch of the same coloring sitting across the living room from a television. An ivory colored recliner sat on the far side of the room, facing a window disclosed with a flimsy black curtain. The kitchen consisted of all the necessities of human life: a refrigerator, which I noticed was stocked with hot pockets, beer, and leftover Chinese food; an electrical stove with no evidence of ever being used; a few cabinets stocked with more alcohol and Campbell's soup; along with a counter and matching table.

I moved through the nearest hall slowly, sliding my fingertips over the walls and glancing at the few framed pictures tacked up. There was a recent one of Emily and Sam holding a baby boy beside a Christmas tree. Another picture was of Seth, Leah, Embry, Quil, and Paul standing in front of a familiar redwood shack. I also spotted a picture of Harry Clearwater located beside Charlie, who were both dressed in fishing gear with their arms wrapped around each other's shoulders, grinning widely at the camera.

My heart lurched suddenly as I gazed at my father's face. So happy. I hadn't seen him in so long… not since the wedding…

I pulled my attention away from the picture and continued steadily though the hallway.

The door to his bedroom was open. I let myself in, walking deliberately slow. There was a large bed and a bedside table, nothing else. I opened the door to his closet, peering in at his clothes and shoes. I took a seat on the bed, running my hands over the sheets and pillows. I kicked off my black pumps and slid further on the bed before laying my head gently on the pillows. I pulled the sheets closer to my face, breathing deeply.

Oh, it even smells like him—woodsy… musky… home.

I sat up quickly and stared at the bedside table. From pure curiosity, I grabbed the knob of the top drawer and pulled it out. There were letters written from Billy along with a picture of him sitting happily in his wheelchair. I wondered why this picture hadn't been hung up like the others in the hallway.

And then I spotted it—a picture of myself standing next to him beside the Rabbit. I hardly recognized the pretty dark haired girl in the photograph for a moment, but it was only because I had not seen her in years… I had not been her in years. I wasn't that girl anymore. I wasn't the same Bella anymore. When I look in the mirror now, I don't even know who I am anymore. I've lost myself. I'm just the shell of the Bella everyone used to know. I'm a hollow piece of stone, wanting, wishing, and waiting to be filled with _something_.

Everything had changed.

I thought my life would be complete with Edward. I thought our love would be complete. But, I was wrong—so wrong. Was it love I felt those many nights when Edward held me when I was human? Or was it infatuation? Were we really even mates as everyone thought, as even I thought? I thought our marriage would make Edward and I equals. I would no longer be the clumsy, human, Bella. I would become the beautiful, graceful, swan I was named to become. I had gained all that, but at a price I never thought existed.

The equality I yearned for as a human between Edward and I never came. I was constantly under his watchful eye. It was as if he were still living in the time where I needed his protection. I was not a damsel in distress anymore. I could handle myself. I can talk for myself. I can fight for myself.

And right now, I need to fight for what I believe is right. I need to fight for what I should have chosen a long time ago.

I stashed the photograph back in its rightful place, put my shoes back on, and walked back to the living room. I took a seat in the ivory recliner and waited for him to return home with either rejection or acceptance. I didn't care which; I just wanted to let him know how I felt.

It was way past midnight when the lock clicked on the apartment door. I stood up at vamp speed and whirled around, facing the door as it opened and two beautiful people walked in with locked arms. The girl was as gorgeous as any model in high fashion magazines; her hair was long, wavy, and jet black. She had beautiful green eyes and pouty lips, which were pouted even more as she saw me. She was wearing a tight, red dress that accentuated her in every good way possible.

I seriously considered jumping out the window at that moment and pretending like this whole thing never happened. But, then I remembered my true reason for coming—I _saw_ my true reason for coming. He was definitely more beautiful than I remembered. Even with it being fifteen years since the last time I saw him, he only appeared to be in his mid-twenties. He definitely wasn't the same sixteen year old guy, fixing up cars by day in La Push and hunting vampires by night.

Jacob was dressed in a clean cut, light blue oxford shirt and a royal blue tie with jeans, which fit him in all the right places. His dark hair was cut short just as I remembered it, and I had the intense urge to just run my fingers through it. Even with his black eyes cutting though me like knives, I couldn't help but just stare at him for a moment.

"Hi Jake." It was barely just a whisper but I knew he could hear me.

The pretty girl released her arm from Jacob's and placed both hands on her hips. "Jacob, who is this?"

"Nobody."

His harsh tone cut through me. But, I knew I deserved it.

"I just want to talk to you," I said.

"You need to leave."

"Please, Jake. It won't take long, I promise."

The beautiful companion of Jake's touched his arm softly. "Listen, I should go. I have to work in the morning. I'll just get a taxi."

"Wait, Kyra," Jacob called, but the girl turned on her heels and left the apartment. I could still hear the clicking of her shoes as she walked away.

A long, awkward silence hung in the air as Jacob continued to glare at me.

"What the _fuck_ are you doing here, Bella?"

"I told you, I just wanted to talk to you. I just wanted to see you…"

"Seriously, Bella! You don't think you did enough damage fifteen years ago?"

"I'm sorry," I whined. "I know I hurt you and I'm so sorry." I was taking a few steps toward him at a time, slowly. But every time I made a little progress, Jacob would back away, each time staring like he couldn't believe he was really seeing me. Or maybe I disgusted him.

"Please forgive me," I whispered.

Jacob was pacing in front of me, running his hands shakily though his hair. "Forgive you," he mumbled over and over, keeping his attention on the carpeted floor. "Forgive you?"

When he finally looked up his eyes were full of hatred. I had never seen him this angry before, and for once in my vampire existence, I was afraid. Yet, I was so occupied with staring into his dark eyes, I didn't notice when he lunged into me at full force until it was too late. I was crushed against the wall between Jacob's hot and angry body. His fists continually pounded the walls as he screamed, "Why should I forgive you?"

All I could do was whisper back, "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? You're _sorry_? I hated you for leaving me, Bella! I hated you and I hated that bloodsucking _leech_ who took you away from me! Do you know how long it took me to get over you? No, of course you don't! And you know what? I vowed that if I ever saw you again I would _kill_ you."

He added even more emphasis to the word 'kill' as he punched the wall inches away from my head; his right fist caused a dent, sending dust into the air. I closed my eyes and swallowed thickly as I smelled the blood.

_Stupid, stupid, Bella_. Why had I even come here? Did I honestly expect for him to forgive me? I should have known how angry he would be. I wouldn't blame him if he decided to kill me right here and right now. I deserved it for being so stupid all these years, for thinking I could have Jacob with me again—my personal sun.

But, I just wanted him to understand.

"I wish I could take it all back," I whispered. "I wish we could both go back to way it was before—back when it was so easy for me to be with you. I made a mistake, Jacob. I made a terrible mistake and I can't take it back; I know that. But I just want you to know that I loved you… I loved you so much, but I was afraid to accept the truth because I knew it would change everything."

Before I could stop myself from speaking any further, I was spilling everything—all the crap I had kept in for so long was finally coming to surface. I could finally let it all out. After fifteen years, I was finally finding my voice.

"I still love you now," I continued. "Even after these past few years. I should have listened to you and I should have realized that I was so wrong about Edward and I. He wasn't what I wanted. That life wasn't supposed to be mine—this life that I have right now isn't right…"

"Took you long enough to find that out," Jacob sneered, lowering his hands and rubbing the fist that had made contact through the wall. I grabbed the hand gently and quickly before he could stop me, scanning my eyes over the reddened knuckles. I brought his fist up and traced my lips over his hand softly, relishing in the warmth of his skin.

Jacob pulled away swiftly, irritably.

"So, what do you want from me now, Bella?"

"I just want you to understand; I just want you to forgive me."

"And that's all? The only reason you came here was just to talk," he asked.

"Yes," I lied, staring down at my feet. "That's the only reason I came… I'll leave you alone and you'll never have to see me again."

I started to walk away but Jacob's large and very warm hands grabbed my shoulders, holding me in place against the wall. I welcomed the warmth as it spread from his hands through the sleeves of my blouse and everywhere in my body.

Jacob shook his head solemnly. "Fifteen years. I've thought about you every day for fifteen years." He reached up and stroked my cheek, trailing fire. "You've changed so much but… you're still the same. I can still tell when you're lying. I loved you when you were human and I know I said I would stay with you until your heart stopped beating, but I can't deny how I feel right now."

He ran a thumb over my bottom lip, teasingly slow. I could feel his warm breath on my face as he leaned in, gently placing his hands on either side of my neck. Our noses touched and I could practically taste him on my tongue.

I wanted to taste him so bad.

"I forgive you," Jacob whispered and I bit my lip, holding in the moan that threatened to escape my mouth. "I'll always forgive you because I'll always be there for you."

Jacob finally pressed his warm lips to mine.

We kissed, soft and kind at first, but as the realization hit—that we were both here together—that gentleness flew out the window. I kissed him with a passion I never knew was possible for myself, and Jacob complied each time, claiming my lips with wild, ardent kisses. Our hands were everywhere, touching and grasping at each other, and neither of us cared. Each touch from Jacob heated the skin through my clothes. It was like I was waking up for the first time in fifteen years: the nonexistent blood rushed through my veins, my nerve endings were on fire, and my dead heart was beating.

Jacob grabbed my waist roughly as I threw my legs around him, hiking up my short black skirt. He bucked his hips into mine and I gasped as his very apparent need pressed against me through the thin fabric of my panties. I ground my hips into his fiery center, grabbing fistfuls of his short hair as he deepened the kisses.

"Bed," Jacob choked out and I nodded.

As he walked to the back of the apartment with me still wrapped tightly around his waist, I kicked off my black pumps, watching them scatter across the hall. When we reached his bedroom, I jumped down from his waist and didn't waste any time ripping off his tie and then his oxford shirt. In seconds, all our clothes were strewn around Jacob's room, most ripped to shreds from my doings.

We came together with the ultimate connection. We were not gentle and we were not quiet. I didn't want Jacob to be gentle with me anyway; I wanted him to show me what I had been missing over the last fifteen years. All the pent up anger came to the surface transforming into pure, animalistic lust.

Jacob slammed into me over and over, with such strength that, if I had been human, I probably wouldn't have survived. But I matched his strength with my own, thrusting my hips up to meet his. As I felt my whole body explode in ecstasy, I dug my nails deep into Jacob's back, drawing blood, causing him to hiss from the sudden pain, sending him over the edge with me.

Jacob collapsed beside me on his stomach, breathing heavily; his heart thumped wildly in his chest. I leaned over, trailing kisses all along the pink lines on his back. I felt like laughing, I felt like crying; I was sensory overload. But I sighed contentedly and laid my head down upon Jacob's bare back, listening to the comforting heartbeat I had missed so much.

And the _warmth_.

"We should have done that a long time ago," I said whispered against Jacob's shoulder.

Jacob huffed, chuckled, and turned his face around towards me, kissing me boldly and passionately on the lips. "You mean like behind you-know-who's back," he asked, smirking.

I wasn't sure whether Jacob meant his question as serious or not, so I answered him anyway. "Yeah," I replied, smiling as Jacob's eyes widened in surprise.

Jacob sighed and buried his face in a pillow. "I guess you have to go back to him _now_."

I kissed Jacob's forehead and turned him on his back swiftly. I straddled him, grinding into his hardness. "Hell no," I whispered seductively. Jacob gripped my hips tightly and leaned towards me for a kiss.

For once in my vampire life, I felt like I finally belonged—right here beside Jacob. My Jacob. My personal sun. My everything. Jacob loved me for who I was and for now, it didn't matter that we were two different monsters. Vampire and werewolf together as lovers. My own personal sun was back to me again, thawing away the cold, warming my dead heart, my stone skin. Jacob had been what I was missing all these years, the reason I felt so empty caused by an unwanted marriage. But now, I was filled with his love and I was no longer the hollow stone.


End file.
